Log-splitting machine.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

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LOG SPLITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1905.

No. 846,839. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907! w. A. FANNON & E. A. PETERSON.

LOG SPLITTING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1905.

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PATENT non.

WILLIAM A. FANN ON AND EMIL A. PETERSON, OF APPLETON, WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed July 14,1905. Serial No. 269,676.

To aZZ whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. FANNON and EMIL A. PETERSON, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Appleton, in the county ofOutagamie and State of Wisconsin, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Log-Splitting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to machines for splitting logs, and consists moreparticularly of improvements upon a log-splitting ma-- chine on whichapplication was filed December 5, 1904, by William A. Fannon, Serial No.235,651.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a simple,easily-manipulated, and self-contained log-splitter in which the logsmay be operated upon with a minimum of manual handling both before andafter the splitting operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ax-head of such aformation as tends to facilitate the discharge of the sections of thelog after the same has been split.

Log-splitting machines are at present employed principally in pulp-millsfor splitting short sections of logs to prepare the same for thepulp-grinders or chipping-machines, and at the present time thelog-splitters used for this purpose consist, so far as we are aware, ofvertically-reciprocating mechanically-driven ax-heads, which for themostpart only partially split the logs, leaving the work to be completedby means of wedges and manual labor. The improved machine of our presentinvention is disposed horizontally and employs in its best form acast-iron bed of suitable length on which is mounted a cylinder and ahead-block, both of which are bolted to the bed, the cylinder andheadblock being provided with ears or lugs through which steel tie -rodsare passed, uniting the bed, cylinder, and head-block into practicallyone piece and rendering the splitter entirely self-contained andavoiding the transmission of shocks and jars to the foundation on whichthe machine is set. The steel tie-rods constitute supporting-guides forthe ax-head, and the cylinder is provided at each end with a valvelessinternal cushioning means, the cushioning agent being the motive fluiditself, which is preferably compressed air.

A log-splitting machine embodying our present improvements in the formwhich has proved successful by severe tests is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of thecomplete machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the ax-head, moreparticularly illustrating the warped formation of its curved sides thatfacilitates the throwing out of the split sections. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal central sectional view through one (either) end of thecylinder, illustrating the automatic cushioning means; and Fig. 4 is anend view of Fig. 3, with the cylinder head or cap removed.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates as an entirety a flat bed-plate,which extends the entire length of the machine and may conveniently besecured to the floor or other foundation 6, as by screws 7, passingthrough lateral lugs or ears 5". On one end of this bed-plate is rigidlybolted or otherwise secured a cylinder 8, and on the opposite end issimilarly secured a head-block 9.. The cylinder and head-block arerigidly united longitudinally of-the machine by means of steel tie-rods10, that are passed at their ends through laterally-projecting ears orlugs 8 and 9 of the cylinder and head-block, respectively, and areprovided with threaded ends and nuts 11, which when drawn up co- 0 eratewith the bed-plate in rigidly uniting t e head-block and the cylinder insuch a way as to balance and neutralize the effect of longitudinalstrains exerted between said parts. The tie-rods 10 also serve as supports and guides for the ax-head 12, that is slidably mounted thereon bymeans of apertured lateral ears 13 through which said rods pass. Theax-head 12 is a solid metal block and is provided at its forward endwith a cutting point or knife 14, removably fitted thereto by a verticaldovetailed joint, (indicated at 15.) It will be observed by reference toFig. 2 that the concave sides of the ax-head are given a warpedformation, (indicated at 16,) the warped surfaces being formed byextending the upper curved margin of the lateral surfaces somewhatfarther rearward of the head than the lower margins of said surfaces.The peculiar advan tage of this formation will be explained later indescribing the operation of the machine.

The ax-head 12 is connected by a pistonrod 17, passed through asuitably-packed stuffing-box 18 on the inner end of the cylinder to apiston 19, Fig. 3. This piston is of considerable length, as shown, andhas a series of annular packing-rings, (indicated at 19 At each end ofthe cylinder the cylinder-bore is countersunk, as shown at 20 While theinternal wall of. the cylinder is formed with a small longitudinalgroove 21', extending inwardly from said countersunk end to a port 22,entered by a pipe 23, lead ing from a distributing-valve 24, Fig. 1, to

which latter are also connected a motor-fiuid inlet-pipe 25 anddischarge-pipe 26. The port 22- is set inwardly from the end of thecylinder-bore such a distance that it will still be covered by thepiston when thelatter is at the extreme limit oi'its travel toward theend of the cylinder. @n the end of the cylind'eris formed an integralannular flange 8 to which is removably securedby threaded bolts 27 andnuts 28 the head orcap 29.

In a vertical lug 30, secured to the bedplate 5, is mounted anoperating-lever 81, to which is connected the stem of an ordinarypiston-valvecontrolling the distribution of the motive agent to and fromthe cylinder. The lever 3'1 plays in a segmentguide 33', which lattercarries a locking-bolt 34, cooperating with a hole in the lever, wherebythe latter is locked in intermediate or idle position when the machineis not in use, in order to prevent possible injury by an accidentalthrow of the lever.

In operation the log to be split is rolled up to the machine and laid onthe tie-rods 1-0 with one end abutting against thehe'ad block 9. At thistime the piston 19 is at the rear end of the cylinder, and by operatingthe lever 31 in the proper direction the compressed air or othermotive-agent is admitted, through the pipe 23 to that end of thecylinder. The motive fluid finds its Way through the port 22' and groove21 to the countersunk space in the end of the cylinder behind the pistonand starts the latter inwardly with a comparatively slow initialmovement until the rear end of the piston has cleared the port 22,whereupon themotive fluid acts with full pressure against the piston,forcing the latter to the opposite end of the cylinder and driving thea-X into and through the log. As the splitting takes place the curvedconcave sides of the ax-head not only tend to throw the split sectionsof the log to either side, but by reason of their warped surfaces exertat the same time a lifting c'llect upon said sections, which cooperatesin throwing the sections upwardly as well as outwardly, thus insuringthe clearing of the. machine. Ordinarily the two half-sections arereplaced in turn upon the guides and each split in the same manner, thusquartering the original log. As the piston approaches the end of thecylinder either on its operative or return movement as soon as thepiston passes the port 22 the escape of the exhaust back through thepipe 23 is constricted, thereby compressing a portion of the exhaustbehind the piston and arresting the impetus of the latter without shockor injury to the cylinder-head. It will thus be seen that the cushioningof the piston is obtained entirely without the use of valves 1orexternal. appliances and solely by a reco1n-- pression of thepreviously-expanded motive fluid,- thus obviating the expenditure ofmotive fluid other than that employed in the driving of the piston.

WVe claim 1. In a log-splitting machine, the combination with ahorizontal bed-plate, of an axoperating cylinder bolted to one end ofsaid bed-plate, a head-block bolted to the opposite end of said bedplate, and a pair of tierods rigidly uniting the opposite sides of saidcylinder and head-block, respectively, above said bed-plate,substantially as described.

2. In a log-splitting machine, the combination with a horizontalbed-plate, of an ax operating cylinder bolted to one end of saidbed-plate and having apertured lateral ears, a head-block bolted to theopposite end of said bed-plate and provided with apertured lateral ears,and a pair of tie-rods passed at their ends through said ears andrigidly uniting said cylinder and head-block above said bed-plate,substantially as described.

3'. In a log-splitting machine, the combination with a horizontalbed-plate, of a cylin- 'der rigidly secured to one end of said bedplate,a head-block rigidly secured to the opposite end of said bed-plate,tie-rods rigidly uniting said cylinder and head block above saidbed-plate, an ax-head slidably supported and guided on said tie-rods, apiston in said cylinder, and a piston-rod connecting said piston andax-head, substantially as described.

4. In a log splitting machine, the combination with a horizontalbed-plate, of a cylinder' bolted to one end of said bed-plate and havingaperturecl lateral cars, a head-block bolted to the opposite end of saidbed-plate and provided with apertured' lateral ears, a pair of tie-rodspassed at their ends through said ears and rigidly uniting said cylinderand head-block above said bed-plate, anaxhead having apertured lateralears whereby it is slidably supported and guided on said tie-rods, apiston in said cylinder, and a piston-rod connecting said piston andax-head, substantially as described.

5. In a log-splitting machine, the combination with a horizontalbed-plate, of an axoperating cylinder rigidly secured to one end of saidbed-plate and provided wih means for cushioning the piston at the limitsof its stroke, a head-block rigidly secured to the opposite end of saidbed-plate, and tie-rods rigidly uniting said cylinder and head-blockabove said bed-plate, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a log-splitting machine, the combination with a cylinder, ahead-block, a piston and piston-rod, disposed horizontally, of l a guidebetween said cylinder and headblock, and an ax-head connected to saidpiston-rod and slidably mounted on said guide, said aX-head havingoppositely-inclined Warped sides adapted to both separate and raise thesections of a log in the splitting operation to facilitate theirdischarge from the machine, substantially as described.

7. In a log-splitting machine, the combi nation with a cylinder, ahead-block, a piston and piston-rod, disposed horizontally, of a pair ofparallel guides between said cylinder and head-block, and an aX-headconnected to said piston-rod and, slidably mounted on said guides, saidaX-head having oppositelyinclined concave Warped sides adapted tosimultaneously separate and raise the sections of a log in the splittingoperation to facilitate their discharge from the machine, 20

WILLIAM A. FAN NON EMIL A. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

W. H. BURNS, E. A. MORSE,

